April Fools (a long time ago)

The best April Fools prank I can remember was when my father was cooking himself some breakfast, standing at the stove, and my mother shrieked, "There's an EAGLE in the back yard!!"

He leaped in the air, did a 180° turn, and reached out with both hands as if he had pulled a pair of pistols. So, the eagle thing . . they have actually returned to this area now, but at that time they were locally extinct. It wasn't 100% impossible, though, that one had gotten off course or just decided to re-settle in the area. Improbable, but not impossible.

No one, including him, could figure out why he had pulled imaginary six-shooters. Was he picturing the eagle carrying off the livestock? Attacking the patio door? Engaging him in a Wild West duel? It was forever a mystery.

You're beautiful

Both my kids (one boy, one girl) were almost ridiculously cute when they were toddlers, and they got a lot of compliments. I, personally, was working on the complicated relationship my family/parents had with good looks. I didn't want my kids to grow up vain, NOR did I want them to feel - complicated and slightly uncomfortable about their looks.

My solution, and it was very intentional, was to compliment every good thing. Every type of good thing. Did they work hard on something! Compliment! Learn a new skill? Compliment! Getting physically stronger (specifically my girl)? Compliment! (It is solidly hilarious how proud a three-yr-old can be of their tiny li'l biceps) Thinking BEFORE acting. Kind to others. Helping me. Getting PISSED and then coping appropriately. And, yes, their looks. But as one small part of the overall picture.

It has worked. So well. I was such a mess in many ways when I was their age. I love seeing them at the brink of adulthood, with strong personalities and good character.

Ice is . . . cool. I'm cool with that.

My son took a winter-term mini-class from a community college (not his regular uni). Good news? W-e-l-l-l-l . . GCC has an adventure sports program. And the mini-class is Ice Climbing. So right now he's in upstate New York uh. Climbing ice. I am trying to be cool about this. Happy that he's happy. But wow, am I not really cool with this. I will not tell him, but - I am le Worrying.

Daughter was up in the middle of the night with a horrible stomach ache. It eventually settled, and we both got back to bed. Dawn came too early, though.

Sandwich Generation

Technically I'm no longer the "sandwich generation"; however, as long as I am trying to cope with my father's farm cleanup and his belongings, I still feel slightly. Sandwich-y. So this poem continues to feel meaningful:

A whirl of fragmented thoughts circle

The pot roast has enough salt? What am I

Too many assignments, how can I keep up

His finances worry him, if he would just stop

Need to prep a lasagna, too, for the weekend

Company coming,

But the shower curtain just fell right down

Beans need picked in the garden, I should

I can’t get the shower curtain rod to stay up

Losing focus, what is even the first step?

Always dusty, no matter how often I

His homework, yes, but what about Hers?

Something is forgotten, what is it

Another bill, but I just paid

Some kind of green vegetable

Paid the car registration, but don’t have the

Where is it

What was I

So lonely

Lean my cheek against the top of her head

Feel the quiet purr more than hear it

A moment, Just a moment

Need a hand?

Very quick and sketchy, I have many things to do today but I had to get this out of my head (and onto paper).

OW OW OW!!!!! The days are so long; how do the years pass so quickly? (ps this dates to just before he started growing his hair out long.)